Maybe it's because of all the great games that came out last month, or maybe it's just EA hate, but the Godfather hasn't gotten much talk lately.
I rented it this weekend. I'm a huge mob movie and GTA fan, so how could I not give it a try?
Impressions after three hours of play: this is a GTA clone done right. The developers managed to capture the essence of what makes GTA a good game without bogging it down with a lot of un-fun, complicated additions. There are some major improvements as well: gunplay is very well done, leagues beyond GTA, although weapon switching is very awkward. There are lots of nice audio visual touches; the shotgun is very satisfying, and there are plenty of fruit carts to ram into during high speed chases. Taking over rackets and bullying people into paying you protection money is a lot of fun. The story missions are excellent and tie very nicely into the movie. So far I've already participated in Luca Brasi's "final mission", the famous "cannoli" execution, the climactic hospital scene, and more.
Some negatives: the cars are pretty bland. Michael Corleone looks nothing like Al Pacino. And I'm concerned about the game's long-term staying power -- I'm not sure what's left to do once I shake down all the rackets and rob all the banks.
Not a bad game. Nothing original or groundbreaking, but highly recommended for fans of both GTA and the Godfather (in other words, any videogame-playing male under the age of 35).